Pegasus: The Lost Flame
by AwesomeBookNerd123
Summary: After most of Emily's powers were removed by the Xan, she'd known things would change, but never had she expected for her life to take the huge turn that it had. Joel was as distant as ever, her powers were practically nonexistent, and most of all, Emily was beginning to regret not letting the Xan destroy Lorin.
1. What's it about?

After most of Emily's powers were removed by the Xan, she'd known things would change, but never had she expected for her life to take the huge turn that it had. Joel was as distant as ever, her powers were practically nonexistent, and most of all, Emily was beginning to regret not letting the Xan destroy Lorin.

Emily needs a break, which is the very reason that she leaves Olympus to go to New York with Pegasus. Little does she know, the CRU are on higher alert than ever before and she finds herself in the worst position possible. The CRU use their latest scientific equipment to steal Emily's flame and use it to create their very own weapons against her and her friends.

When the flame in the temple sputters and dies, no one knows what to make of it and there is confusion among the Olympians.

Will Emily ever be found? Is there any way to get her powers back? What will become of Olympus? Read to find out...


	2. Introduction

In this fan fiction there will be spoilers from books 1-5 but book 6 is not included in this so you could say this happens after book 5. In this version, book 6 does not exist so please keep that in mind as you read this because the story is completely different from the original book. Some parts from the books may also be changed or left out but it will be more clear once you read it.

If you have not read the first five books, then read at your own risk because there will be many spoilers.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and it's my first fanfic so let me know if you like it or not so I can remember for fanfics in the future. I will try to create the best quality of chapters that I can. Thanks for reading =)


	3. New Appearances

Emily Jacobs sighed for what had to be the millionth time as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The tall teenage girl that looked back at her couldn't be her, could it? The girl in the mirror had long waist-length, raven-black hair, and deep sapphire blue eyes with flecks of white to go along with them.

Just two months ago, the girl she had seen was much contradictory. That girl was the real Emily, with her wavy brown hair and pale blue eyes. She had been short, she had to admit, but that had been HER.

This new girl, this imposter, was not the real Emily. Just one glance at her and one would think this girl was Diana, but no. The tall and brave girl in the mirror was not Diana. It was, in fact, Emily. Except that Emily Jacobs couldn't accept it. She wanted the old her. The Emily that people were used to, and most importantly, the Emily that Joel DeSilva fell in love with.

She wished things could go back to the way they were between her and Joel. Emily still remembered admitting her love to him before she faced Lorin in Diamond Head. Never had she imagined that THIS would happen.

She felt tears well in her eyes as she glared at her appearance. She would rather have been killed than have to live with the fact that Joel no longer loved her. She didn't notice Paelen when he strolled into her room until he was right behind her.

"What are you crying about, Emily?" Paelen asked with concern in his voice.

Emily jumped. She had not desired for anyone to catch her sobbing about something so pointless. She most certainly didn't want Paelen to get bothered about her for no good basis.

"N..Nothing Paelen," she replied as she whirled away from the mirror and wiped her eyes.

"I know you Emily. There is something bothering you," Paelen said, not surrendering the topic.

"Seriously Paelen, I got some dust in my eyes, that's all." Emily attempted a smile, but even she knew it appeared awkward on her lips.

Paelen narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, whatever is wrong, I hope you will tell me soon so I can help you."

Emily could tell that he was still very concerned.

"I just came to tell you that you have a lesson with Lorin. And you forgot...again."

Suddenly Emily forgot all about the reason she had been crying and sighed in exasperation. "Again?! Are you kidding me?! Didn't we just have a lesson the other day?!" Emily hated coaching Lorin on how to control the flame. She herself could barely get her powers to function; Riza and Vesta took over the lessons every time.

"Emily you are supposed to teach her on very specific days that you were informed about already. Although it upsets me to say this, I do not think your heart is in it."

Paelen had been trying for the past two months to help Lorin better communicate with other people. He had been trying to instruct her right from wrong and how to be more mature; he knew beforehand just how difficult it was.

Emily groaned in frustration and glowered at him, "Look, I've been trying everything I can to get her to understand but she just acts like an immature, stubborn child, I'm sorry but I give up!"

"This is not something that can just happen overnight. It takes time to teach someone how to perform an action they are not used to." Paelen said. He gave her a sympathetic look, though. "Besides, although you may not see it, I think she has changed remarkably."

"Yeah right, " Emily grumbled as she started out the door. "Lorin is getting worse, if you ask me."

"The only one getting worse is you," Paelen joked. "At teaching, that is."

Emily dashed towards the Temple of the Flame, where her blaze burned strong as ever. On the way, Olympians of various shapes and sizes greeted her with friendly waves or tried to stop her to start a conversation. She hastily informed them that she was late and sprinted all the way to the temple while paying no mind to anyone else who tried to grab her attention.

Once she got there, she saw that Riza and Vesta had already started the short class. Pegasus was also standing in a corner, probably because he had been waiting for her. Immediately when he saw her, he whinnied and trotted over.

Emily stroked his mane as she tried to catch her breath. "Hey Pegs," she greeted.

Riza halted in the middle of explaining to Lorin how to carefully arouse her flame and spun around to face Emily. Her beautiful face lit up with a grin.

"Hey Emily! What kept you this time? Never mind, I should not even ask. It is always the same reason when it comes to you. Let me guess...you forgot again." Riza laughed and came over to draw Emily into a quick embrace. She was much taller than Emily which made it just a little bit awkward. It would be for anyone, hugging someone eight feet tall.

Emily rolled her eyes and whispered, "I wish I didn't have to do this. I mean, I'm not even a big help, am I? I can't even summon my own flame these days."

Riza smiled and said, "That's just because you are not used to not having me inside you, helping you control the flame. You are going to have to figure out on your own how to get your powers to work again. That is something even I can't help you with, because that power comes from within." She sighed. "We went over this before, you know. How about instead of complaining, you actually try to do it."

Emily moaned. "What do you think I've been doing for the past two months? Dancing around Olympus, laughing and having the time of my life? No! I've been trying everything I can! Maybe the Xan just took all the powers out of me and it's all just pointless!"

Riza shook her head. "Emily, calm down. I know the Xan did not take all your powers because the flame is still burning, is it not? And whatever you are trying, it must not be enough."

Those words stung Emily more than any insult, and at that moment she wished Joel were there and not...wherever he was...avoiding her. He would have defended her without a doubt.

Without another word, Emily silently went to sit next to Vesta, who was right across from Lorin. Obviously they had been listening to what Riza had just said. Vesta put a comforting hand on Emily's shoulder.

Lorin gave her a weary look. She still wasn't too fond of Emily, but Emily couldn't care less. Riza didn't talk to Emily after that, which was completely fine with her.

When the lesson was over, Emily stormed out of the temple and fumed as she went back to Jupiter's palace. Pegasus had stopped to let her climb on his back so she could get a ride but she had waved him off. What Emily didn't hear was the whinny of concern as Pegasus watched her go with sad eyes.

"I just want to talk to Joel," she said sadly when she was in her room and was sure that no one was watching.

She had caught glimpses of him in the palace and in the gardens from time to time but every time he saw her, he seemed to avoid her or try to find an excuse to leave.

Emily thought about her time with Joel when she had gone back in time. How they had gotten so close and in love. If only Joel remembered those days. Why could he not recall those moments?

She wanted to see him. She longed to observe even a hint of love in his eyes. Emily wished that she could confront someone about these problems, but that would mean everyone knowing how deeply in love she was with Joel. She just wasn't prepared for that. What if Paelen suddenly didn't want to talk to her? What if nothing was the same ever again? Not that things were the same right now.

As Emily lay in bed, she dreamed of reliving the days she had spent so close to Joel.


	4. Stressed Friendships

"I'm doing this for the best, Paelen. You have to understand that I just don't want to be around her for a little while. It's so strange how she looks different now and I need some time to get used to it."

Emily startled awake when she heard murmurs outside her door. She strained to listen and discovered that the person who had just spoken was none other than Joel.

"I think you have had enough time to get used to it. Two months is quite a lot to be avoiding Emily for. She is getting very upset about it. Please just talk to her. She is the same person as before."

Emily couldn't believe her ears. She had been right all along about Joel not pleasuring her new complexion.

"Sorry Paelen, but not today," Joel said. He turned around and started walking away from Emily's closed bedroom entrance.

Emily heard all this and couldn't take it anymore. She kicked her blanket off and dashed to her entryway, slamming the door open so swiftly and brutally that Joel jumped and Paelen -who had been standing outside the door- fell backward to the floor.

Emily crossed her arms and glared at both of them.

Joel had a very panic-stricken look on his face as he said, "Oh hey Emily, so you're up?"

He sounded so sincere that for a second she contemplated whether she had misheard everything he and Paelen had conversed about.

"Drop the act," Emily replied coldly. "I heard everything."

Beads of sweat rolled down Joel's forehead as he gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Oh...umm...it's not what you think."

"Oh really, then please kindly inform of what all that really WAS about?" Emily said, her rage swelling more by the second.

Paelen got up off the ground and said, "There's no point in hiding it, Joel," as he dusted himself off.

Joel sighed and gave in. "Fine...I'm sorry Emily...but...I'm just not used to you looking so much like...Diana...It's not that that's bad or anything but...I don't know, it's weird."

Emily rolled her eyes and felt herself practically shouting, "How many stupid times do I have to tell you that I'm STILL THE SAME PERSON?! When will you get it through your head that it's only my appearance that has changed?! I can't take this anymore! I'M STILL EMILY JACOBS! THE GIRL THAT WENT THROUGH SO MUCH WITH YOU! AND HOW YOU'RE ACTING RIGHT NOW MAKES ME KINDA WISH THE XAN KILLED ME INSTEAD!"

She sensed a strange tingling in her chest, and suddenly there were flames shooting out of her hands. Joel and Paelen recoiled in shock.

Emily felt tears in her eyes as she ran past them and through the corridors of the palace. When she reached the door that lead outside, she sprinted out.

She couldn't believe what had just happened. Joel had told her to her face that he didn't like how she looked. He had the nerve to call her WEIRD. Teardrops streaked down her cheeks and fell to the smooth ground below. If only someone could understand the deep sorrow she was experiencing. Well...at least she knew she still had her powers. Her strong emotions must have been what called forth the flames inside her. But still, she wanted things to be the way they used to.

It felt like the whole world was against her, and ever since the Xan removed most of her powers, she didn't feel wanted anymore. She hated herself for having abused her powers and used them to kill. Perhaps if she had not made that mistake, she could still have a lot of power. Even if she hadn't misused her powers, though, she still would've ended up in the new body anyway, since Riza needed to be removed from inside of her.

Emily felt completely and utterly alone. She went into the cool shade of a tree with multicolored, soft, velvety roses.

Pegasus flew over to her from where he had been sleeping underneath a tree not too far off. Without another word, Emily climbed onto his back and he took off into the sky.

The cool air felt nice on her cheeks and a light breeze lifted her hair off her face and gently blew it back. Emily breathed in and felt herself relax.

Pegasus soared high over Olympus and Emily felt her worries drift away. She loved flying on Pegasus and seeing everything from so far up.

Emily giggled and threw out her hand to graze some clouds, which dissipated in her fingers. The sun shone bright as ever and the light seemed to chase all the darkness away from her thoughts.

Some colorful birds passed by, singing beautiful songs. There were mountains below, their peaks reaching high into the clouds. They also passed the occasional stream or river, which sparkled in the daylight.

"Pegs," she whispered. "Wanna know something?"

Pegasus let out a nicker and nodded his beautiful white head, his mane flowing in the wind.

Emily hugged his neck and said, "I love these moments most. The ones with just you and me, flying over Olympus."

She didn't know what Pegasus said when he whinnied in reply, but he must've been happy because he flew them in loops and circles in the air.

Emily laughed and smiled. She didn't know what she would do without Pegasus.

After a few minutes, Pegasus landed on the soft green grass below and she noticed they were in a peaceful area.

"Thanks Pegs, this is just what I needed," Emily said as she plopped down in the grass and sighed in relief.

Pegasus sat right next to her and she leaned against him. They sat like that for quite a long time as Emily told him all about how Joel had been avoiding her.

It felt nice talking to Pegasus like this. He always seemed to understand perfectly and he never blamed her for anything. She patted his soft fur and knew that as long as she had Pegasus, she was not alone in her struggles.

Emily stopped when she heard the crack of a branch behind her and turned to investigate the sound.

Hiding behind a tree, there was a figure that had been watching her. She realized that she had been sitting right in front of a forest.

When the presence saw that they had been caught, he/she whirled away from the tree and started sprinting deep into the forest.

"Hey!" Emily shouted as she shot to her feet and started running into the trees to follow.

Pegasus whinnied, probably to stop her, or get her to sit on his back, but there was no time to lose.

She ran as fast as she could and looked up ahead at the figure. Emily discerned that the person was wearing a black hood.

It could be an enemy. Or a spy. It could be a wanted criminal for all she knew. Who could tell? Emily needed to see the face underneath that hood.

Trees blurred past and twigs snapped under her feet as she ran as fast as her legs could go, which was surprisingly agile. Having an Olympian body sure could come in handy.

All Emily saw was the green of leaves as she turned this way and that to dodge low branches and avoid falling over roots.

She was gaining on the hooded figure, who was not too far now. A stream came up ahead, but the figure simply leaped over it.

"Stop!" Emily yelled. But if the person had heard, they did not listen. "I demand you to stop or I'm going to use my powers. Believe me, you don't want that!"

Suddenly the figure tripped over a thick branch and crashed to the ground. The hood let out a groan.

Emily caught up to the figure and stopped to catch her breath.

"It's over," she breathed as she stepped closer cautiously, fearful that the figure might jump up and attack.

She looked back and saw Pegasus standing right behind her. He must've pursued her, but she hadn't noticed.

The hood breathed heavily and was silent as Emily seized them by the back of their cloak and pinned them against the tree. She peeled the hood back slowly.

Emily gasped when she saw who it was.


	5. Strange Encounter

"LORIN!" Emily shouted so loud that birds flew off a nearby tree. Why in the world was SHE spying on her? Most importantly, why did she run off like she had just been caught doing something she shouldn't be?

"Please don't hurt me," Lorin whimpered. Her ice-blue eyes were widening in fear as she took in Emily's fierce look. Her blond hair was braided to one side and she had a bloody scratch on her left cheek from the fall she had taken.

"Why shouldn't I, huh? You were spying on me. And instead of admitting it, you run like the coward you are," Emily snapped.

Lorin rolled her eyes, her fear forgotten. "Wow. Rude. Anyway, you scared me and I didn't know what else to do. So I ran."

Emily gripped the front of her cloak, hard. She pushed Lorin against the tree with such force that she practically lifted her off the ground. Lorin cried out and tried to push her away, but Emily's training payed off.

"You're avoiding the more important matter," Emily grumbled, her voice getting dangerously low. "Why were you SPYING on me?"

Lorin stopped her struggling and sighed. "I was bored, ok? No one ever talks to me except Paelen and it's very boring. And even he left this morning to go find Joel because he was worried about you."

"What?" Emily said, confused. "You were spying on me because you were bored? I find that very hard to believe."

"I was exploring the forest because I saw a weird...thing...a creature of some sort. And anyway, I saw you and Pegasus fly down so I wanted to see what you were doing," Lorin said.

Emily considered what Lorin was saying and pondered on whether there was any truth in her words. Lorin was very curious, and she didn't know about many creatures because she hadn't had enough time to learn about them before the meteor struck her home and put her in a deep sleep for many years. She concluded that Lorin's behavior was somewhat suspicious and she would need to keep an eye on her, but for now, maybe Emily was just overreacting.

She released her hold on Lorin's cloak and sighed. "I don't believe you for even a second, but I'll let it slide for just this once. If I ever catch you spying on me again, I'm going to just assume that you are working for some unknown enemy."

"Why would I ever do that?" Lorin said with a look of disgust. "I don't work for anyone."

Emily resisted the urge to smirk. "You do realize that makes you sound even more suspicious, right?"

Lorin's eyes widened again. "Uhh...pretend I never said that." She was so naive.

Emily rolled her eyes, "Who am I kidding? No one would ever have someone like you work for them." She then mumbled under her breath, "You'd cause a great deal more trouble than you would actually help."

Lorin glared daggers at her. "I heard that! I'm right here, you know. You are so mean!"

"And you are a spoiled brat!" Emily shouted.

"HOW CAN PAELEN BE FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU?! YOU ARE STUPID AND RUDE AND..." Lorin struggled to think of another mean thing to say. "AND...YOU SMELL LIKE SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT OF PEGASUS!"

Pegasus glowered at Lorin, but he looked slightly embarrassed.

Emily tried very hard not to laugh as she said, "Wow Lorin, your comebacks definitely need some work. Oh and also, you wouldn't even be here right now if it weren't for me. The Xan were about to kill you!"

"What are you? Stupid?!" Lorin yelled. "That was a test, they wouldn't have killed me either way!"

"Well at least I had the kindness to beg them not to kill you," Emily shot back. "You should be forever grateful that someone cared enough to do that. Really though, you weren't worth it."

Lorin's eyes watered as she said, "You know what, I don't care. I know nobody likes me, you don't need to remind me. I just...I came to look at the weird thing, not talk to you. Leave me alone!"

"If you didn't want to have to confront me, you shouldn't have been spying. And stop with the self-pity. Leave it for someone who cares. I have enough stressful things to worry about already, I don't want to hear your problems," Emily spat. "You're evil, dumb, and by far the biggest brat I know. And believe me, I find no interest in talking to you, so it will be my pleasure to 'leave you alone'." With that, Emily trudged back towards Pegasus. They started making their way out of the forest.

She left Lorin behind with a stunned look painted across her features.

When she was well out of earshot, Emily stopped and turned to Pegasus. She was starting to regret what she had said to Lorin. Even if she had been mad and confused, she shouldn't have been so cruel with her words.

"I did the right thing, didn't I, Pegs? Emily whispered softly as she stroked his smooth fur.

Pegasus whinnied and shook his head, much to Emily's dismay.

"I mean, I suppose you're right...I hate her so much though. But...I shouldn't have been so harsh. I was too harsh, wasn't I?"

Pegasus nodded. He had a look of worriment in his eyes. That expression made Emily's heart fill with even more regret at what she had said.

Emily let out a sigh and buried her face into her hands. "I don't know what's gotten into me Pegs! I've never been so mean to anyone before. I don't even remember the last time I yelled at Joel."

Pegasus nuzzled her and she hugged him tight.

"Pegs, I don't want to be like this. I wanna make things better, the way they used to be. Ever since Lorin awakened, nothing has been the same. Now this, I feel like I may just go insane." She started to sob quietly, but she remained in that position and let Pegasus comfort her with his soft whinnies and his head resting on her shoulder.

She wanted a change, she desired with all her heart that things could go back to the way they were, but she knew it was impossible.

"Pegs, I need a break from all this. I think maybe we should go to New York for a few days and maybe check out my old apartment. You know, the place where it all started? I know it's risky but I'll lose my mind if I spend another day here like this. We won't get caught by the CRU, I look nothing like I used to, they won't recognize me. And we can find a way to hide you too. We would figure something out. I just really need to get away from here. You with me?"

Pegasus nickered and nodded his head. He seemed to understand how Emily must have been feeling.

Emily smiled. "Thanks Pegs."

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a flash of greenish light to her right. When she turned to investigate, nothing was there.

After closer observation, she figured she must have imagined it. "Did you see that Pegs?" she asked, just to be sure.

Pegasus spun in circles, examining the surrounding trees, his face displaying a look of panic that seemed to amplify as the moments went by.

For a couple minutes, Pegasus sniffed the air and paced between two trees. At last, Emily couldn't take it anymore. "What's going on?"

She heard the rustling of leaves and jumped around to face the sound. It was Lorin.

"You have got to be kidding," Emily said in exasperation. "Lorin, I'm gonna have to take you with me and hand you over to Jupiter, because obviously there's something going o-"

"THE THING!" Lorin shouted, interrupting her words.

Emily was perplexed. What was she going on about? "What thing? What are you talking about?"

Lorin pointed a shaky finger and Emily turned around and saw Pegasus stock-still in front of a ferocious-looking wolf.

It was no ordinary wolf. The beast was even bulkier than Pegasus. His fur was jet-black and spiky and his eyes were large with a greenish glow to them. The most unnerving attribute about him, however, was his long and dagger-like teeth, saliva dripping down as he licked his lips in anticipation of a most delightful meal.

Emily shrieked and moved back a step. "PEGASUS, GET AWAY FROM THE WOLF!" Pegasus remained in the same pose, still as a statue.

The wolf snarled and took a step forward.

Lorin, who was confused about Emily's fear, said, "Oh so that's what it's called? A wolf. Why are you so scared of it?" She begun to approach the beast slowly, holding her pale hand out.

"LORIN ARE YOU CRAZY?! THAT THING IS DANGEROUS! IT WILL EAT US ALIVE!" Although Emily didn't like the girl, she didn't want her to die.

"Indeed," the wolf growled, his voice deep and menacing.

Emily was so startled that she fell backward, over a root. "YOU CAN TALK?!" she screamed.

The wolf's face grew irritated. "Of course I can! I'm not any ordinary wolf. I'm the Wolf King."

Emily got shakily up to her feet and held on to a tree for support as she swayed. "Why didn't anyone tell me there's a wolf king in these forests?!"

The Wolf King rolled his eyes. "That's because I was banished to a far away prison. Only the worst of Olympus's villains are sent there. It was used before Tartarus, and it's even worse. Oh yes, much worse. A place in Olympus where not many people have gone or even heard about. Most certainly not a place a little girl like you would be told about."

"Excuse me, I'll have you know that I'm the Flame of Olympus!" Emily found herself shouting.

"Sure, and I'm the fairy godmother." The Wolf King roared.

Pegasus seemed to come to his senses, and he reared up, slamming his hooves down as forcibly as he could manage. The Wolf King effortlessly dodged the attack and howled in fits of laughter.

Pegasus looked infuriated, but had a foreboding look in his eyes as he appeared to say something to the Wolf King in his own language. From the looks of it, Pegasus had seen this murderous creature before.

The Wolf King snarled. "No, Jupiter won't be stopping me this time. I have allies, you see. How else would I escape from the Emberlands?"

"The what?" Lorin asked, terror finally catching up with her. She moved backward to stand next to Emily.

"The Emberlands," the Wolf King repeated. "A territory far from here, it can only be reached by going through a set of doors that serve as a portal. The keys of which are guarded by a serpent that no one knows the location of. The prison itself mostly containing burning mountains and miles of ash. We don't even get food. In order to eat, we have to hunt. The problem with that is that not everyone is capable and the food sources are very...limited. Dangerous place, certainly not someplace YOU would like to end up."

Emily was confused, more than she wanted to admit. "But...why doesn't anyone talk about that place?" Surely Jupiter would have told her if such a prison existed. She was the Flame of Olympus, after all. This was information that she should have known about from him, not some dangerous beast.

The Wolf King roared with laughter. "The Emberlands is practically forgotten. Jupiter eventually stopped using it as a prison because of the cruelty of the place. Even the security has been at a minimum. Which is exactly the reason I was able to escape. With a little help, of course."

Pegasus whinnied in fury and his nostrils flared as he stood before the Wolf King.

Emily shook her head in disbelief, "What did you even do to end up there?" Surely this wolf was not someone to mess with. He must have done something truly horrible to end up in such a place. Or he could just be brewing this whole story up in his mind to scare them.

The Wolf King snarled. "That's not something you children need to worry yourselves with. Your lives are coming to an end." He had a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. "At last, I can have a real feast!"

Emily and Lorin screamed in unison as the wolf lunged towards them


	6. Fight in the Forest

Pegasus moved swiftly, putting himself between the Wolf King and the girls. He cried out in pain when the wolf lashed out with his needlelike claws and scratched his flank, tearing out some feathers.

"PEGASUS!" Emily screamed as she mentally demanded that her powers work for once. As always, it was no use.

The Wolf King snarled and leaped right on top of Pegasus, clawing and swiping, slicing through skin and drawing blood.

"Stop!" Lorin yelped as she summoned up the tiny bit of flames she possessed and pointed her hand at the Wolf King.

The wolf seemed almost amused. He locked his jaw onto Pegasus's leg. Pegasus shrieked in anguish as he was knocked out from the excruciating pain.

A petty, wavering ball of fire flew from Lorin's trembling hands and disappeared into the air right before it reached the Wolf King.

He roared with laughter and released his grip on Pegasus's leg. "Your little attempt at heroics is almost cute. That all you guys got?" He licked Pegasus's deep red blood from his lips and his eyes glinted in pleasure.

"Ahh yes," he said after a moment. "Pegasus tastes positively divine. He'll make for a wonderful meal."

Emily had had many near-death experiences in her lifetime, but never had her situation felt this helpless.

"NO! PEGASUS PLEASE WAKE UP! PEGASUS! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Emily exploded into tears. Was this the end? Were she and Pegasus about to die? It sure seemed like it. There was absolutely nothing Emily could do.

The wolf grinned, showing rows of razor-sharp teeth still slightly ruddy from Pegasus's blood. "Oh, my dear, but it IS happening."

Lorin begun sobbing as well. "Please have mercy on us Wolf King! PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME!"

"I AM THE WOLF KING! MERCY IS NOT IN MY BLOOD!" he roared. Lunging once again; this time right on Lorin.

"HELP!" Lorin shouted out, she was trembling and tears flowed down her face like a waterfall. The Wolf King's face was inches from hers, his jaw hung open and saliva trickled down onto her cheeks.

"Goodbye," the wolf snarled as he plunged down for the kill.

Emily came back to her senses and realized something. If she would go down, she would do it with a fight. She was the Flame of Olympus, so it was crucial that she be tough. She'd be no help to anyone by giving up after everything she had been through. This was nothing compared to the various dangers she had faced before.

Emily plucked a loose tree branch from the brush below and swung it overtop of the wolf's head, knocking him off course.

The Wolf King growled in rage, not pain, as Lorin attempted to inch herself out from underneath him. Emily kicked him in the side to assist her. However, he was too bulky, and Lorin was trapped.

"This is amusing, really. I simply love playing with my meals before I devour them, so I do have to thank you," the wolf said as he grinned at Emily.

"Leave us alone!" Lorin hollered as she pushed against the wolf again, her struggling in vain.

Emily had no idea what to do. The odds certainly weren't in their favor. She could try her powers again, but she didn't have the time.

Lorin mustered all her strength and the knowledge from her lessons to build up searing heat in her hands. She summoned everything inside her and knew that if she didn't do this with all she had in her, she would die.

Flames shot out of Lorin's fingers and she pressed against the Wolf King's chest, causing him to scream in agony. He recoiled from Lorin and took a step back, right into Emily's path.

She whacked him in the head with the branch as powerfully as she could. Lorin stumbled to her feet and formed balls of fire that she directed at the wolf. This time the flames did not dwindle.

Perhaps knowing her life was on the line caused Lorin's powers to arise to their full extent.

Even this, surprisingly, did minimal damage to the wolf, but he still howled in pain at the burns that started to char his already dark fur.

Emily didn't waste a moment as she raced to Pegasus's side with Lorin close in pursuit.

His breathing was strained, and his beautiful white fur was stained with red. Pegasus was alive, but barely so.

"Oh Pegs!" Emily cried as she dropped down to her knees and positioned her hands on his side, tears making their way down her face.

Thankfully, she still had some healing in her touch, and Pegasus's wounds begun to close up.

"Is he g-going to be okay?" Lorin whispered fearfully. She was quite fascinated with how fast the cuts were mending, but still concerned nonetheless.

"I hope so," Emily muttered. She hugged Pegasus and mumbled under her breath, "Please Pegs, you're the strongest Olympian I know. You can do this, please wake up. W-we need you. We need to get out of here."

Right on cue, the Wolf King recovered from his temporary suffering and made his way toward them. He did not look pleased as he growled ferociously.

"Pegs!' Emily said urgently. "Come on Pegs!"

She didn't want to picture what would occur if Pegasus didn't wake up. All hope would be lost.

More tears rolled down her face. "Pegs...we're going to die without you."

The Wolf King chuckled when he had reached them. "Pegasus won't be getting you out of this one. As I said before, your lives are coming to an end."

"The only life coming to an end is yours."

Everyone turned to where the voice had come from and saw a young woman strolling toward them from somewhere deep in the forest. She had been the one who had spoken.

Not much could be told from underneath her brown hood except that she had emerald-green eyes and light hair, most likely blond.

"Who are you?" the wolf asked in confusion. He hadn't expected anything quite like this transpiring.

"That is not something you need to know," the woman said as she approached them.

Emily and Lorin were puzzled. Who was this woman and what was she doing? Did she come to save them or was she an enemy all on her own?

There were so many questions swimming around in their minds. They were also slightly thankful for the distraction her presence had brought forth.

"What's your business being here? Do you have a death wish?!" the Wolf King sneered, shaking off his temporary shock.

"No, I won't be dying here," she said with a smile. "Fight me, wolf. Try to eat me. I can assure you that you'll fail."

The Wolf King couldn't dare let this woman insult him in this way! Who did she think she was? He was thrilled to prove her wrong by clawing her to death. Or maybe he could just eat her alive, ripping her flesh apart with his jaws, for added torture. He grinned. Oh the possibilities! This woman didn't stand a chance against him.

The woman beamed. Seeming to know that the wolf would not back down from a challenge, especially if it was questioning his pride.

"I won't be failing, lady. Say your last words because this is your end!" the Wolf King bellowed. He started to advance on her.

"Girls get out of here!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She saw them hesitate and said, "Don't worry, I've got this under control."

The Wolf King spun around and growled in anger when he saw Emily and Lorin's increased attempts at arising Pegasus.

The woman destroyed his focus by yanking out a staff from underneath her cloak that had a deep green stone on the top. She pointed it at him and the grass beneath him begun to grow and wrap around his legs.

The Wolf King roared and ripped the vegetation away with his powerful teeth. He turned his attention back to the woman as he lunged and landed mere inches from where she was standing.

Meanwhile, Emily gently shook Pegasus and tried healing him once again. "Pegs we need to get out of here!"

Lorin, with a panicked look on her face, said, "Come on, she can't distract him forever! We need to leave!"

"We can't go without Pegs! Besides, we won't get far on our feet!" There was no way Emily was going to leave Pegasus behind. "Pegs," she tried again, "Pegs, come on!"

Pegasus opened one eye and then the other, taking in the scene around him. He got shakily up to his feet and turned to where the woman was battling the wolf.

"Pegs! Come on. Let's get out of here!" Emily shouted.

Pegasus swiveled back to her but appeared a little weak from his injuries, even if they were repaired. However, he still kneeled down to allow Emily and Lorin to climb onto his back.

The woman was keeping the wolf at bay by firing spells and keeping his attention focused on her. He still turned and growled in fury when he saw the girls on Pegasus's back.

Once Pegasus took off into the woods, galloping as fast as he could, the Wolf King couldn't take it anymore. He released an ear-splitting howl that rung in Emily and Lorin's ears and called, "COME FORTH, MY MEN, KILL THESE FOOLS! HAVE NO MERCY! RIP THEM BONE FROM BONE!"

Pegasus sprinted even faster and Lorin asked, "What just happened? What's he doing?"

Emily shook her head in shock and disbelief as she replied, "I have no idea."

The words had barely left her mouth when abruptly, hundreds of wolves pushed out of the trees surrounding them. They had brutal looks in their eyes as they jumped out from all directions. The beasts looked similar to the Wolf King, but they were slightly smaller in size and they all had red eyes.

Emily and Lorin screamed as Pegasus sprinted faster than ever before.

Finally, Emily felt they had truly reached the end of their lives. There was no getting themselves out of this.

"Lorin," Emily said after a bit of thought. "If we're going to die here, then I at least want you to know that I'm sorry for how I acted. It's just, I don't know what happened to me, I was so mean to you. I've been so stressed because of my powers and especially Joel...who I may never see again. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me. Even if you don't, I understand, I was horrible."

"Um Emily, it's okay, but can we please focus on the situation we're in right now!" Lorin urgently called back. She was not giving up just yet, they would get out of this, or at least she hoped so.

"But Lorin, I was horrible. I seriously lost control of what I was saying. I didn't mean any of what I said."

Lorin, getting more impatient, said, "I know. We all say things we don't mean to when we're mad. But please, we need to focus on the present, not the past."

Emily knew their situation looked hopeless. The wolves were gaining on them, some leaping barely astray from Pegasus.

"I've got nothing, Lorin. I don't know what we could possibly do at this point," Emily said.

"How about telling Pegasus to fly us out of here!" Lorin shouted in terror as a wolf jumped from the side and nearly shoved her off Pegasus.

"He's still recovering from his wounds!" Emily yelled back in equal panic.

"Well tell him to recover faster!" Lorin replied. Another wolf leaped out from the trees farther up the path, blocking their way, followed by several more. They were surrounded.

"Pegasus, are you up for it?" Emily whispered lightly, trying not to let him hear how her voice was quivering.

Pegasus kept running and at the last instant, spread his feathery white wings and took off into the sky, flying higher and higher, away from the snarling wolves.

One brave one jumped up and latched onto Pegasus's hind leg, causing him to whinny in pain. The wolf was being lifted up with them as they started to slowly ascend. He stubbornly refused to let go even when they were soaring high up above the trees and he dangled precariously.

Emily tilted back and tried kicking the wolf off, but he held on tight. She attempted to punch him but he grazed her arm with his claws, ripping the sleeve of her tunic and shredding some skin, resulting in blood welling up.

Pegasus shook this way and that, trying to get the wolf to release him, but to no avail.

"The stupid thing won't let go!" Lorin yelled in frustration.

Suddenly, Emily had an idea. "Pegasus! Fly low to the trees, so the wolf hits them!"

Lorin understood what she was saying as Pegasus descended and said, "Great thinking."

When Pegasus was low enough, he started flying right above the trees, causing the wolf to slam against all the branches below. He whimpered in pain and when he had had enough, he unhinged his jaw and plummeted into the leaves below.

"GO PEGASUS!" Emily shouted. "Fly higher now!"

Pegasus whinnied in relief and whisked back up, leaving all the wolves growling below them.

"That was a close one," sighed Lorin. She glanced back at the wolves below, their faces filling with wrath at their escaping lunch.

The wind whipped their hair back as they breathed heavily, trying to catch their breath. The sun was gradually making its way across the sky. It was well into the afternoon, meaning that it hadn't been too long since Emily had left the palace with Pegasus.

"I can't believe we made it out alive," Emily breathed in relief. She had been sure that she had reached the end of her life; it was all thanks to that strange woman that they were alive.

Suddenly they heard a loud shout ring out. It was soon followed by an ear-piercing bellow, "YOU MAY HAVE ESCAPED FROM ME THIS TIME, BUT YOU ARE ONLY DELAYING YOUR DEATHS! TELL YOUR PRECIOUS JUPITER THAT THE WOLF KING IS COMING! I WILL NOT FACE DEFEAT AGAIN! OLYMPUS WILL FALL!"

The Wolf King howled, soon followed by hundreds of howls as all the wolves joined in.

Lorin covered her ears and Emily's eyes widened in dread. She needed to warn Jupiter! Something told her that the situation definitely wasn't looking good. She had a feeling more than just the wolves were involved.

The wind whistled in their ears as Pegasus flew briskly past the forest. His leg had deep gash marks from where the wolf had bitten him and blood oozed out of the wound. He was obviously in a lot of pain.

They flew in silence for the rest of the trip home, and once they reached Jupiter's palace, they all dashed inside.

Emily stopped Pegasus from going past the entrance hall.

"Pegs, stay here! I'll go get Jupiter. Lorin, you go find a healer," Emily was about to head toward the throne room when Jupiter rounded a corner into the entrance hall and took in the scene before him.

"What's going on?" Jupiter asked in alarm when he noticed Emily's shoulder wound.

"Jupiter, I was just about to go find you," Emily said breathlessly. "We were attacked in a forest not too far from here."

"Attacked? By who?!" Jupiter said with growing concern.

Pegasus whinnied and limped up to Jupiter, his leg still gushing with blood.

"The Wolf King? No, that's impossible. He is locked up in the Emberlands," Jupiter replied in skepticism.

"Well he's back now," Emily said. "And he mentioned that he had help. He also told us when we were escaping to warn you that he's going to attack soon."

Jupiter scratched his chin. "That's very troubling indeed."

Lorin stepped up. "We should send fighters to go kill them."

Jupiter shook his head and said, "This is the Wolf King we're talking about. He is not going to be easy to kill. We barely defeated him the last time."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Which brings me to the other matter. Why didn't you ever tell me about the Emberlands? ...Or the Wolf King?"

"Because I never felt the need to." Jupiter replied. "We don't use the Emberlands anymore, we only guard the entrance. And the Wolf King, I never imagined he would set foot outside of the prison."

"So what are we going to do?" Lorin asked with fear creeping into her voice.

"We wait for them to make the first move. If we go to attack them in the forest, they will have the advantage of the trees, so we should wait for them to come to us. Here they will be out in the open and easier to attack."

At that moment, Paelen came into the palace from somewhere outside. As soon as he took notice of their scratches and bruises, his mouth hung open in shock.

"What happened to you?" He asked after he had inspected them all, up and down.

Emily informed him of their encounter with the Wolf King and he listened with widened eyes.

"I'm glad you escaped from there alive," he said once Emily had finished.

Before anyone could say a thing more, Emily's father came into the entrance hall from the sleeping quarters, probably because of the urgency of the voices he had heard.

"Emily are you alright?!" Her father ran over to her and examined her shoulder. His expression was horrified as he looked over her wound. "What did this?! How bad does it hurt? We need a healer right away!"

Emily laughed nervously and moved her shoulder away. "Dad, I'm fine, really. Don't worry about it."

"How can I not worry? You are my child Em. I can't bear to see you injured like this."

"It's going to be fine," Emily reassured him.

Her father refused to drop the subject. "What happened anyway?"

Jupiter sighed, "We should have a meeting about this and inform the Olympians of what's going on."

"I think so too," Emily agreed. Then she turned to her father. "Dad, I was attacked by some wolves in the forest, let's just keep it at that and say it was a pretty bad experience, I'll tell you more later."

She grimaced as she realized just how much her shoulder throbbed.

Her father wanted to press her for more information, but he gave in, knowing how stubborn she could be at times. "I'll go get a healer," he said as he ran to the hospital wing.

"Well, " Jupiter said as he started toward the throne room, "I believe we should have the meeting tonight, so you have some time to recover."

Emily nodded and lead Pegasus to the hospital wing, with Lorin close behind.

Once Pegasus was healed and Emily's shoulder had been bandaged, she decided to go rest in her room (her father had insisted).

As Emily lay there in bed, she thought over what she had heard and seen in the forest. She was beginning to worry about what the Wolf King had said.

Olympus will fall! kept repeating in her ears as she tried to get some sleep. For some reason, Emily felt he had a plan that might actually work. She wished she knew what it was the wolf was trying to do. Also, what ally had he been talking about? Who had helped the beast escape from the prison?

Another question also made its way into her mind.

Who had that strange woman been? Why had she helped them?

Emily was jolted out of her thoughts by a light knocking on her door. She pushed herself out of bed and opened it.

Emily took a step back when she saw the boy on the other side.

It was Joel, and for the first time in a while, he actually looked concerned.


	7. The Dream

Joel stepped into Emily's bedroom and stood before her. He opened his mouth to say something but promptly closed it again.

"What do you want?" Emily asked with narrowed eyes. She still hadn't quite forgiven him for what he had said earlier in the day.

Finally, Joel took a deep breath and said, "Paelen told me about what...happened today."

Emily shook her head. "That doesn't explain why you're here."

"Look," Joel said after a moment of silence, "I don't blame you at all for your anger. I...deserve it. I was a big jerk." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

Emily was relieved that Joel was apologizing but she was still pretty ticked off about how he had treated her. "Joel...sorry doesn't bring back the two months we could have spent together."

"I know," Joel replied gloomily. "You were right. Your new look doesn't change who you are. You're still the same Emily I know and love. I've been so stupid, I just...I don't know. I'm not saying I'm completely fine with everything being so different just yet, but I'll get used to it. It's not that I don't...like you...it's that I am not used to my...best friend...looking like Diana." He quickly realized he was going down the same path he had previously, and he rushed to say, "But the reason I'm here is because Paelen said your shoulder was hurt, and I wanted to see if you're okay."

Emily gave him an annoyed look. "Why is everyone so worried about my stupid shoulder? Pegasus had it worse than me."

She was pleased that Joel had realized his mistake and was asking for forgiveness. It gave her reassurance that perhaps he was still in love with her and her looks hadn't changed anything. Now that she thought about it, if she had been in Joel's shoes, she would have been somewhat weirded out too. Maybe she had been overreacting about Joel not liking her and he was really just trying to get used to what had happened to the girl he loved. She determined that maybe things weren't quite as troubling as she had originally thought.

Joel chuckled and said, "I checked on him too. I'm glad you're okay. If something happened to you I would..."

"You 'would'?" Emily prompted, slightly amused now.

Joel shrugged bashfully. "I don't know, I would lose my purpose for living, I guess."

Emily found herself blushing, despite the day's events. Talking to Joel had certainly helped her feel better.

"Anyway," Joel sighed in relief, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "I should be going. You have a meeting later tonight, don't you? I should leave you to rest for a bit."

Emily wanted to beg him to stay, but knew that he was right. "Yeah. See you later Joel."

As he strode out of the room, she shut the door behind him and felt her spirits rise as she replayed everything he had said. It was excellent to know things were looking better between the both of them.

Outside in the hallway, Joel beamed as he turned back to stare at her closed door. Now that he had talked to Emily, he felt a lot better. Joel spun around to leave and stumbled over a slight rise in the floor. He caught himself and straightened up before walking away again, a slight bounce in his step.

Emily decided to attempt to fall asleep again, this time no worrying thoughts filled her head and she felt her eyes close as she drifted into a deep sleep.

She had a strange dream.

In it she was walking up stairs that never seemed to end. She climbed and climbed but didn't appear to be making any progress. Though at last, she reached the top.

Now Emily recognized this place. It was her old apartment building, and she had reached the uppermost level to her floor.

She twisted the knob and crept into her old apartment.

Emily glanced around and realized that the place looked exactly as she had left it. That was odd, she had expected for someone else to have moved in by now.

She explored her old home, scouting for something, anything, that hinted at her old life. She was surprised by how unusual it felt to be there after all she had been through. Emily had a hard time believing that this was the place she used to live.

Now Emily lived in a beautiful palace with spacious rooms that were five times greater than her apartment. Now she had more food available to her than she could ever need. Servants cleaned every little thing without her requiring to ask. She even had a bedroom fit for a queen. Emily begun to appreciate how she lived in wonderful conditions and had left behind a tough life.

She made her way to her old room and looked through her dusty books and diaries and toys she used to love as a child. Emily even found the stuffed bear she had been obsessed with until she was 10 years old.

She smiled at the memory of her 8 year old self not being able to sleep until she had the soft teddy bear in her arms. It had been a gift from her mother and given to her right when she was born. That explained why it was so worn out and one of its eyes was missing.

Emily let her gaze wander up to her ceiling and observed the cracks from where Pegasus had crashed on her roof. That day had changed her life completely and for the better.

"Oh Pegasus, where would I have been right now if it weren't for you?"

Emily was interrupted from her thoughts by a strong light coming from somewhere outside her room. She shot up to her feet and peered outside her bedroom.

Down the hall, it was her parent's bedroom that the white glow was originating from.

Emily slowly advanced toward the room. On the way, she grabbed a baseball bat propped against the wall, most likely the same one she had taken when she had first gone to survey the crash created from Pegasus.

As she reached the room, Emily glanced inside and saw that the light was emanating from her mother's closet. The door to the closet was slightly open, but there was no telling what horrors may await inside.

Emily took a deep breath and stepped into the room. She held up the baseball bat in case something might pop out of nowhere and attack. Nothing happened.

She walked farther into the room and pushed the rest of the door open. It creaked as Emily walked past it and into the closet.

Everything was the same as when Emily had last seen it. The only difference was a scroll sitting on a shelf at the very top of the closet. The scroll was glowing brightly, almost too bright to look directly at.

Emily used to have a very hard time reaching the top because of her short height and her mother would often put things there that she didn't want her daughter to touch.

Now though, Emily was very tall and was easily able to seize the scroll and bring it over to her parent's large bed.

She sat down and unfurled the scroll. It was old and wrinkled, yellowed with age. She thought of her mother writing in it and hiding it on the top shelf.

Emily's heart ached, she missed her mother more than she wanted to admit. She felt as if a part of her had been snatched away from her.

The scroll was filled with writing that Emily could not discern. All the words were blurred, but Emily was able to make out a few things, like "Emberlands" and "Olympus".

What caught her attention the most was her mother's name written at the very bottom of the scroll in faded letters.

Emily tried to perceive more, but suddenly she heard a sound behind her and woke up in her bed in Jupiter's palace.

She knew at that very moment that the scroll held a very big significance and that she needed to get her hands on it.

If the piece of writing had anything to do with her mother or the Emberlands, it could be very valuable, not only to her, but to all of Olympus.

Emily considered for a minute whether or not the dream was real and figured that it wouldn't hurt to at least check the place out.

She jumped out of bed and walked out of her room. There wasn't a minute to waste.

As Emily rounded a corner to the entrance hall, she ran into her father.

"Emily, I was just about to go get you," he said. "The meeting is about to begin."

Oh no! Emily thought in her head. I forgot all about that meeting.

"Em?" her father asked when he saw the shocked look on her face.

Emily shook out of her trance and said, "Oh yeah, the meeting..." She had to find a way to delay the meeting. Getting to her old apartment was much more important. "Actually Dad...I don't think I'll be able to make it."

"Why not?" her father questioned. He was starting to get puzzled about his daughter's strange behavior.

"Because I have to do...something..." Emily hadn't quite thought this through. She had no idea what excuse to come up with.

Her father took her hand and led her into the meeting room. "It can't be more important than this."

"Oh great," Emily mumbled. "It better be quick."

It seemed that all Emily's friends were at the meeting. Neptune, Pluto, and Jupiter were all sitting together at the head of the table. Paelen and Lorin were sitting side by side and Joel was sitting next to them at the left side of the table.

There were also some other faces that she didn't recognize, though she was glad to see Alexis and Tom sitting amongst the others. Riza and Vesta were also there; Riza appeared to have gotten over what had occurred earlier.

Pegasus and Chrysaor were standing to the side along with some other creatures.

Emily sat down next to Joel and glanced around at the large amount of people who were attending the meeting. She sighed. This was going to take a while.

After a few minutes, Jupiter held his hand up and the Olympians turned silent.

Jupiter explained what Emily, Lorin, and Pegasus had encountered in the forest and the threat the Wolf King had given. He also told them about the Emberlands and why he hadn't informed them of it before. At the end of his explanation, everyone started bouncing around different ideas of how to fight the wolves and defend Olympus. Emily also shared her own views and how difficult she expected it would be to fight the Wolf King. She didn't tell them about her dream because she wanted to make sure for herself whether or not it was real.

In the end it was decided that Olympus would prepare and train for the coming attacks. They would wait for the wolves to bring the fight to them and be ready for anything. It was concluded that fighting in the forest would give the wolves an advantage and that they would be more out in the open and easier to kill in Olympus.

As soon as the meeting ended, Emily didn't stick around. She told Pegasus to meet her outside and ran out of the room, but Joel was following behind her.

"What's the hurry?" Joel asked as he struggled to catch up. He was surprisingly fast and easily caught up to her.

Emily turned to look at him and said, "I have to get somewhere." She dashed down to the entrance hall and out the front double doors.

Joel continued to follow her and replied, "Where? Why can't I come?"

"Because it's something private," she said.

Joel stopped in his tracks. He decided that maybe this was something she wanted to deal with herself. "Ok, but you have to tell me about it when you get back."

"I will," Emily promised. She had to make sure she saw the scroll before she told anyone else. She didn't want to waste Joel's time if the whole trip to Earth was for nothing.

Joel nodded and walked back inside the palace, leaving Pegasus and her alone in the front courtyard.

"Pegs," Emily said as she stroked his mane. "We need to go to Earth to my old apartment and check out something. I had a weird dream last night that I need to investigate."

Pegasus filled Emily's mind with images of the CRU capturing them. He was having doubts about going to Earth after all their close encounters.

"Don't worry Pegs," Emily soothed. "We'll be in there and out before anyone notices us. I just need to see if my dream was real and I want for you to come with me so I'm not completely alone."

Although Pegasus was still hesitant, he allowed Emily to climb onto his back and open the Solar Stream.

She closed her eyes and held on to Pegasus as they traveled through the Solar Stream. If her dream was real, she might finally have something that could help her get closer to her mother. If the scroll had anything to do with the Emberlands, it was vital for Emily to read it because it could provide Olympus with some leads against the Wolf King. Most of all, Emily wanted to know why her mother's name was on something that was about Olympus.

Perhaps her mother had been a part of things that Emily had never imagined her to be.

What Emily didn't know was that she was heading into danger that would put her and Pegasus into deep trouble, especially since no one knew where they were going.


	8. Capture

When Emily reopened her eyes, she and Pegasus were standing outside of Emily's old apartment building. It looked exactly the same as it had when she had last seen it. It was as if nothing had changed over the past few years. Behind her, she could still hear the loud and busy street noises that she had grown accustomed to.

A little past her apartment building, the Empire State Building still stood tall and bright as always, its colors radiant in the night sky. As a matter of fact, all the buildings were lit up, as if the whole city were awake even at the late hour.

Although Emily loved Olympus, New York would always hold a huge part of her heart. This was the city where she had spent her childhood, and also the place where it had all started. She wished she could spend more time but knew she had to focus on the reason she had come in the first place. Besides, staying for too long could attract unwanted attention and she could get caught by the CRU.

Emily wielded her powers to unlock the front doors and she and Pegasus swiftly went inside to get away from the outside world, in which prying eyes were very possible. Inside, though, they would be slightly safer.

To make sure no one saw them, Emily turned herself and Pegasus invisible, which was a new ability she had just recently learned that she possessed. Keeping a hand on Pegasus's flank so she didn't lose him, Emily made her way to the stairs. It would be safer to use the stairs in case someone used the elevator and bumped into her or Pegasus. They may be invisible, but they still existed and could be felt or walked into.

They started up the stairs and went vigilantly. For the most part, they advanced up without much hardship. At one point, a man ran down the stairs gripping a suitcase in hand, but they veered well away from him and went by unnoticed.

When Emily and Pegasus finally reached the top, she sighed in relief. She adored her apartment on the top floor but sometimes it could get annoying when walking up the stairs. However, it was worth it, because now she could see whether her dream was true.

Emily took a deep breath and walked up to her door. She twisted the knob; it was locked. Without much worry, she concentrated on her powers to unlock it and tried again. This time it opened and Emily stepped inside to her apartment. She decided to get rid of her and Pegasus's invisibility spell since they were safe for the time being.

She didn't waste a moment. Unlike her dream, in which she had explored her apartment, she went straight to her parent's old room with Pegasus close behind her.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see that there was no glow. Not giving up, she approached her mother's closet and peered inside.

"Looking for this?" a penetrating voice asked.

Emily jumped at the sudden sound and whirled around to see a man in a suit, tightly clutching a scroll in his hand.

"W-who are you?" Emily said shakily. She hadn't expected any company.

The man chuckled deeply. "I'm Agent Q, part of the CRU. I'm sure you've heard of it."

Pegasus whinnied in anger. He had known coming to Earth was not a good idea.

Emily didn't understand. How had the CRU known she was coming? It didn't make any sense. She had been sure that she would be safe. "What? How did you know to come here?"

"It was easy, really," Agent Q explained. "Ever since we first saw you with Pegasus, we kept a watch on this apartment building. Knowing it was your old home, we figured you would probably come back here some day. We even bought this apartment and installed cameras everywhere."

"But how did you get here so fast?" Emily pressed. "I just got here."

Agent Q smirked, his gray eyes glinting in malice. "Well Emily, ever since we saw that strange glow several hours ago, we knew this thing was important." He tightened his hold on the scroll. "So I resolved to stay here in case you decided to retrieve it."

Emily held out her hand in front of her. "Well you can't win against me. I have powers and you have nothing." She knew her powers hadn't been functioning too well lately but maybe faced with a dangerous situation, she would be able to control them better.

The agent's smile widened. "Ah, that's where you're wrong. I may not be able to beat you, but WE can."

Before Emily even had time to process the situation, a dozen other CRU members flooded into the room.

Pegasus charged forward to attack, but was immediately shot in the side by a dart. He ran forward a few more feet before crashing to the ground unconscious.

Emily screamed and tried summoning her powers. She was not fast enough, however. As soon as the CRU shot Pegasus, they were quick to shoot Emily as well. For a moment, her vision turned blurry, then everything went black and she slammed to the floor.

Joel awoke in the morning just as Paelen burst into his room with a troubled expression.

"What?" Joel asked in confusion. He hoped there wasn't another problem in Olympus, though knowing his luck, he suspected there was.

"Emily has disappeared," Paelen answered. "She was not in her room this morning and we searched all over Olympus. She is no where to be found."

At this, Joel scrambled out of bed. "What do you mean, 'nowhere to be found'? She has to be somewhere. How can you be so sure?"

"I told you already, we searched everywhere," Paelen replied in annoyance. "Which means she must have gone to Earth again.'

Joel rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "This can't be good. Jupiter forbade her to go back to Earth. Wait a sec...I remember she was going somewhere last night but wouldn't let me come. She said it was something private so I left her alone. Now I kinda wish I pressed her to tell me."

Paelen started to pace the room in growing concern. "Where could she have gone? I wish she let us go with her."

"Me too," Joel agreed. "She could be in danger for all we know."

Paelen stopped pacing and faced Joel. "We need to go find her."

"I know," Joel said. "There has to be a way to know where she's gone. But we can't let Jupiter know that Emily left without his permission again. He would be furious."

"We have to be as quiet as possible about it," Paelen concurred. "Let's ask around Olympus. Maybe someone here overheard Emily saying where she was going."

Joel nodded. "And if that doesn't work, we will have to try something else. Let me just put on some clothes and we can get going."

He quickly pulled on his Olympian tunic and strode out of the room behind Paelen, all drowsiness gone.

Emily opened her eyes. Lights flashed in her vision and she couldn't make sense of where she was. For a moment she didn't even recall why she was waking up in a strange and curious location in the first place.

Emily blinked a few times to give her eyes time to adjust. She was in a room void of any colors. Everything was white, including the bed she was laying on. Emily tried to lift her hands but found she couldn't. She glanced down and saw that her hands were handcuffed to the bed, the same was done to her feet. She was trapped.

Then she remembered. She had been captured by the CRU when she had gone to visit her old apartment in New York. She also specifically remembered not informing anyone of where she was going. This could be a huge problem since no one would be able to locate her. Emily began regretting not telling Joel: he could have come with her or at least been able to help by arriving from Olympus if something went terribly wrong.

Emily looked around to observe her surroundings. It wasn't a very large room. There also weren't any windows, though the beaming white lights made up for it. There was a white chair to the side of the bed and one part of the room was filled with computers and other screens on the walls and on stands. Other lab equipment filled another side of the room. There was a metal door on the wall across from Emily, though it appeared to be locked. Locks wouldn't be an obstacle though, or at least she hoped not. The biggest problem would be to escape from the CRU facility unnoticed.

Emily's concerns then turned to Pegasus. She needed to figure out a way to save him, but to do so she would need to know where he was being kept first. She was just deciding to leave her room and search for him when the bolt for the door clicked and Agent Q strolled in. Two other CRU members stood by the door as the agent shut it behind him.

"What do you want?" Emily spat. She hated the CRU more than she could ever put in words. The Central Research Unit was always after Emily and her friends; she was sick of it.

"What do I want? I don't want anything except for you to cooperate with me." The agent made his way to her bed and sat down in the chair, making himself comfortable. He had a very satisfied expression on his face.

"Let me go before I burn you and everyone else who gets in my way!" Emily threatened. She was bluffing, but perhaps Agent Q would fall for the trick. However, his face revealed no fear.

Agent Q grinned, revealing shiny white teeth. "Oh, my dear Emily, I'm afraid you won't be causing us any trouble."

"What is that supposed to mean? Just because I'm handcuffed doesn't mean I can't get out by melting them." The agent seemed very bold...a little too self-confident. She started to wonder what the CRU had done while she was passed out.

Agent Q smiled and shook his head. "Consider your powers gone forever."

Emily's eyes widened. "What?! That can't be true. What do you mean?" It was at that moment that Emily realized she couldn't feel her powers. Normally, even if her powers wouldn't work with her, she could still feel the strength inside of her and the heat in her body, ready to be released. But now, she couldn't sense a thing. It was like her powers had...vanished.

"Don't underestimate the CRU, Emily. We have been researching since the first day we saw and captured you," Agent Q continued. "It should come as no surprise that we found a way to take away your powers."

"What?! No! Please tell me you're kidding." Emily refused to believe that the CRU had stolen her powers. Her heart was thumping so fast, she was afraid it would explode out of her chest. She had not even thought it probable for humans to be able to withdraw Olympian powers. It sounded like something that should be impossible.

Agent Q got up from his seat and roamed over to the screens attached to the walls. "Oh believe me, this is no joke. Don't worry though, your powers are going to be utilized for important purposes. Just the tiniest spark of it in any one of our weapons and it becomes near invincible. You should be thankful that your powers have been put to good use."

"You call creating weapons to kill your fellow humans 'good use'? Killing others isn't going to help anyone." Emily was disgusted at how people always thought of violence as the best way to solve problems. "Please, haven't you seen how some of your own members have helped the Olympians? It's because they saw how wrong the ways of the CRU were. It's not too late, you can still change. Give me my powers back...please."

Agent Q studied the screen for a few minutes, then turned back to face her. His expression was unchanged. Emily felt he had a great determination, his eyes were full of an evil unlike any CRU she had ever seen. As a matter of fact, he had the most confident look she had ever seen on a CRU member's face.

"Do you know who I am?" Agent Q asked. "Emily, do you have any idea who or what you're dealing with?"

Emily took a guess. "You're one of the leaders of the CRU, aren't you?"

The agent smiled, though his eyes betrayed a bit of surprise. He replied, "Very good, Emily. You're brighter than I gave you credit for. Although you're very close, I am actually the one and only leader of the CRU."

If Emily hadn't been strapped to her bed, she would have surely fallen back in bewilderment. She had never thought that the CRU had a leader. She always imagined it was just a group of scientists and researchers who were working together to find her.

"Granted," Agent Q went on, "I may be the greatest leader, but the CRU has bases around the world. This requires me to appoint one CRU in each country where we have a base to have the most authority and look over the other members. However, I have the greatest power. When I learned about you and your friends, Emily, I discovered the find of a century. Yes, the CRU has been around for a long time, we can sometimes be in places you'd never expect, watching and waiting for something worth looking into deeper. Anyway, when I learned about you, I knew we needed to capture you. You were quite a nuisance, running away every time we were on your tail. This time, with a chance of you showing up after we saw the glow from your apartment, I drove all the way from New Jersey. I needed to see for myself how much trouble you could cause. Apparently not much; perhaps my CRU members are just incompetent. We have already had quite a few betrayals."

Emily took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. She had to be brave and stay strong if she ever wanted to escape from this facility. "What about Pegasus? What have you done to him?"

"I'm glad you asked," Agent Q said with a look of delight she wished she could slap off his ugly face. "Your precious Pegasus is unhurt and safe. We tried taking away his powers, but his don't work the same way yours do. We simply proceeded to take some of his DNA to use for cloning. Oh and a few sample feathers of course. Who knows? With time we might be able to bring winged horses into the world. Just think of it, soon they could be as common as any regular horse. Not to mention the power of such a creature. The uses of such a thing in war."

Emily rolled her eyes. "That will never happen, I won't let it. And don't you dare lay a finger on Pegasus OR his wings. Also, I think you're forgetting that my friends are still not captured and can come to save me at any time."

Agent Q laughed and strode over to the metal door. "I'm not too sure your friends will be able to find you here without us finding them first. I also wouldn't put my hopes on rescue too much if I were you."

Emily would never stop believing in her friends. She had to trust that they would be able to find her and come up with a strategic plan to perform a rescue. "At least tell me what machine you used to take away my powers and how you did it."

Agent Q punched in a code and the door ticked open. He turned back and replied, "Later. Oh and what I said when I first walked in about wanting your cooperation...We will require your assistance later for the next part of our plan." With that, he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I will never assist you!" Emily shouted. "Just wait until my friends get here and we destroy this facility!" She screamed as loud as she could, hoping to be heard, but the door was already sealed and the CRU leader was gone.

Joel and Paelen had asked all around Olympus. No one knew of Emily's whereabouts and had shown concern when they heard of her disappearance. They had also sworn not to inform Jupiter of the latest development.

Joel slumped down onto the steps outside of Jupiter's palace. "It's useless! We asked everyone and not a single person knows where Emily is!"

Paelen sat down beside him. "We will have to think of something else."

"Do you have any ideas then?" Joel grumbled. "I can't believe I just let her leave without coming with her. This is my fault. I don't know how we can find her. Earth isn't a small place, you know."

"Perhaps Emily's room holds some clues that we may not have seen," Paelen replied. The words had only just left his mouth when Loren walked up to them from the path in the garden.

"What are you two doing?" Loren asked once she was standing right in front of them.

"None of your business," Joel spat. "Leave us alone, we have enough worries as it is."

Joel had never really liked Loren. She was the reason for a lot of the problems that Emily had to face and also the reason she had to change her appearance in the first place. If Loren hadn't awakened, they might not have even been in this predicament.

"Joel," Paelen warned. He knew how much Loren's temper could flare if she was angered. Then he remembered that they had not asked her about Emily yet. "Loren, do you know where Emily is?"

"What is wrong with Emily?" Loren said. "I saw her last night. She was going through the bright solar thing with my Pegasus."

Both Joel and Paelen sat up straight, suddenly wanting to listen to Loren and what she had to say.

"And?" Joel questioned further. "Did she say where she was going?"

"Yes," Loren answered. "Emily told Pegasus that she wanted to go to New York to see her old partment or something like that. I do not know what that means."

"YES!" Joel hollered as he sprung up from the steps and spun to Paelen. "We know where she went now, to her old apartment. I don't know why she'd want to go there but we need to go RIGHT NOW!"

Paelen got up as well. "Thank you for your help, Loren. We have been looking for Emily all day."

Before Loren could reply, a loud shout rang out and voices began murmuring in alarm.

The three of them looked around in shock and saw people pointing up at the sky. When they glanced up, they discovered why.

The sky was turning gray right before their eyes. A dark sort of gray, and some parts of it black. On top of that, Olympus appeared to be losing its colors. Beginning from the Temple of the Flame, the surrounding areas were transforming into shades of white, gray, and black.

"What is going on?" Paelen said incredulously. "What is happening to Olympus?"

"It's the temple," a man shouted to another farther along the path. "The flame has died. Olympus will be defenseless and powerless without the Flame of Olympus. If the wolves attack, we will be overwhelmed.

"But how can this be," a woman replied. "How can the flame be gone? Where is the girl, Emily?"

Joel shook with a sudden fear for Emily. He willed himself not to think of anything negative, but he couldn't keep out the frightening thoughts. "I don't see any other time better than this to go save Emily."

 **A/N: Hey I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm trying my best to make a good storyline and create an overall enjoyable story. Before I say anything else...I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE NEW PEGASUS BOOK SERIES KATE O'HEARN IS WRITING! I mean, sure Emily and Joel won't be the main characters, but at least it's in the SAME WORLD! I'm glad Kate O' Hearn is writing more for the Pegasus world. We will still get to see a bit of Emily and Joel in it...which is very exciting! The new series is called Arcadia but it's a follow-on series from Pegasus. Tell me what you think. Are you as excited as I am? And also thanks for your reviews, favorites, and follows, they definitely make my day!**


	9. The Rescue Attempt

Joel, Paelen, and Lorin (against Joel's wishes) were all standing outside of Emily's old apartment building. With a piercingly-cold wind at their backs, they were trying to figure out how best to get in and up to Emily's apartment without producing any skepticism from anyone inside.

That would be tough, however, since all three of them were dressed in Olympian tunics with gold sandals to match, Paelen having winged sandals.

Joel had decided not to bring Chrysaor along because he would arouse too much unwanted attention. He knew that when it came to something suspicious or out of the ordinary, the CRU would be first to hear of it. The last thing Joel wanted was to be captured in the middle of his own rescue mission.

Joel envisioned Emily crying for help, and him single-handedly battling and conquering all the members of the facility. He imagined breaking Emily free from wherever she was being held and of her thanking him and admitting just how much she loved him. The story ended with the two of them sharing a kiss, getting married, having children, and living happily ever after in Olympus.

Joel shook his head to shake the fantasy from his mind. He was getting too far ahead of himself. The first priority would be to actually save her. Time to plan for the wedding would come later.

"Joel, what is your plan?" Paelen asked, scattering his thoughts.

"What do you mean? Of course I would need to buy an engagement ring for her. Or maybe I could make one for her myself. Vulcan could teach me at the forge."

Paelen blinked, not quite catching on to what Joel was saying. "Joel, we need to focus."

Joel shook his head again. What was his problem? Thinking of marriage at a time like this! He was getting off-track and he knew it. He just couldn't help it...Joel only hoped that nothing horrible had happened to her.

"I uhh...I'm just worried about Emily. I hope she's alright," Joel replied.

Paelen placed a reassuring hand on Joel's shoulder. "Do not worry, we have enough experience to know that she can take care of herself. I am sure she is on her way back to Olympus right now and this trip was wasted."

Joel stared down at the ground. "I dunno Paelen. I mean...how do you explain the flame in the temple going out?"

"Well let us see for ourselves what has happened to her," Paelen said somberly while indicating the apartment building.

Joel scanned around them and saw that most people were giving them a simple glance as they passed by, before moving on with their lives. He figured that people wearing costumes were common in New York City, enough for Joel, Lorin, and Paelen to blend right in.

"Why aren't we going inside?" Lorin whined after a few moments of only the sounds of the cars whizzing by.

Joel glared at her and thought about how the trio could get in without drawing attention or security their way.

Evidently, Paelen was growing anxious too, considering he broke away from the group and marched up to the front double doors of the building.

"Come on, Joel," he called over his shoulder. "The longer we spend just thinking, the longer Emily is stuck with the CRU. Let us just go in."

"No," Joel said. "We need to come up with a plan."

He thought for a second about what they could do, but nothing came to mind. Perhaps they could pretend to walk up with the next person they saw going into the building. The man at the front desk might think that they were a family or something. Honestly, Joel didn't have any idea though.

Paelen tapped his feet impatiently for a few minutes before pushing open the doors and barging in.

"Paelen wait!" But Paelen was already inside and out of earshot. Joel grumbled and ran after him, cursing under his breath.

After a short moment, Lorin decided to follow the two of them into the building.

Inside, Joel reached Paelen just as he was arriving at the front desk. The man sitting behind it was old, with brown wrinkly skin like sandpaper and gray-white hair. For a moment Joel wondered if they could make a run for the stairs, but resolved against it. He would rather not be sprinting up a flight of stairs with security guards giving chase behind him.

Getting stuck in jail also wouldn't increase their chances of being able to free Emily.

"Excuse me, dear sir," Paelen began. "I would like to visit an apartment building upstairs."

The man looked Paelen over with a blank face. He fished a clipboard from one of the many drawers in his desk. He also seized a pen from a cup and placed it in front of Paelen.

"Well, sign these papers and you can go on ahead," the man replied with a weak voice.

Before Paelen could even touch the clipboard, Joel snatched it up and looked through it.

The majority of the questions were basic. Things like, 'Who are you visiting?', and 'Which room?' and also 'How long will you be staying?'. Joel answered each question as best as he could, trying not to sound too suspicious. Getting to Emily's old apartment was proving to be easier than Joel had anticipated. If it really came to it, Joel supposed he could easily knock out the old man, or outrun him, though he hoped it wouldn't get to that. Honestly though, he was glad they were dealing with a scrawny old man rather than a big and buff one.

After Joel was done filling in the papers (most of the answers to the questions being lies) he handed the clipboard back to the old man and thumped his fingers on the desk as he waited for him to look it over.

The old man seemed to think that Joel, Paelen, and Lorin all looked trustworthy enough, as he waved them off toward the elevators. "You kids have fun, and don't you go around causing trouble, you hear?"

Joel nodded enthusiastically and headed to the elevators, pushing Lorin and Paelen along with him. He couldn't believe their luck. Thank goodness that the old man hadn't checked the clipboard, or he might just have gotten suspicious.

Their luck ended just as quickly as it had come.

Just as Joel was about to push the button of the elevator, a tall man in a black suit blocked his path. He had seemingly come out of nowhere, though Joel supposed the more logical explanation was that he had been standing to the far side, waiting to pounce at the next person who tried to go in the elevators.

"Don't you children have an adult to accompany you?" the man said in a tone that suggested he didn't trust them. "You can't go on your own, and I've never seen you before today."

Joel glared at the man and pointed at Lorin and Paelen. "We're teenagers, I'm sure we are old enough to go into an elevator on our own. And also, the man at the desk already approved us."

The man crossed his arms. "That old guy is useless, he should've been fired months ago. He just isn't capable of his job. Which is why I am here, to make sure only the right people pass. Which floor and room are you going to?"

"Umm...the room at the top floor," Joel answered while trying to remember what he had scrawled on the clipboard paper. "The room at the end of the hallway. We have a friend who lives up there."

"Oh really?" the man frowned and narrowed his eyes at the three of them. "That's strange, considering that no one is staying in that last room at the top floor."

Joel's face reddened and his heart beat started racing. Now what? This man was definitely on to them.

With a last desperate attempt, Joel said, "What? Last I checked, my friend lived there. Can my friends and I please go and check it out?"

"No," the man spat. "I'm gonna have to ask the three of you to leave, or I will be forced to call security."

"What is security?" Lorin asked, but everyone ignored her.

Paelen leaned over to Joel and whispered, "Should we fight him?"

The whisper was obviously not silent enough, considering that the man snatched up his walkie-talkie and said something like, "Security at bottom floor please".

Joel shot Paelen a dirty look. He quickly shouted, "No no no, he was kidding! He is such a jokester, HAHA!"

Joel punched Paelen in the shoulder in a way he hoped the man would think as playful.

"Good one, Paelen," Joel said, as he tried to come up with the most convincing fake-laugh that he could muster. "That was...hilarious."

Paelen scowled and punched Joel in return.

The man didn't seem to buy the act. "Get out now and maybe you won't have to be dragged out by security."

"You don't understand!" Joel cried. "We NEED to get to the top floor. I promise you that something is wrong there."

"Nice try kid," the man replied, tone unchanging.

Two men in similar black suits as the first were making their way towards them. They had stone-like faces that meant business. They reminded Joel of statues, walking statues with zero emotion in them.

Joel gulped. Rescuing Emily just got much more difficult.

"Joel," Paelen said, "If saving Emily means having to fight these people, then I will do it, and with no regret. That should be the same for you."

Joel closed his eyes in thought. He decided that Paelen was right. If they wanted to get to the top floor of the apartment building, they would need to take care of these men first.

"Ok, let's fight them," Joel said.

Immediately Paelen punched the first man, who was not used to Olympian strength and was taken by surprise. He grunted, fell backward, and lost consciousness when he hit the floor.

The other two men came rushing in at this. They looked strong, but they were nothing compared to the strength of Paelen and Joel. Even Lorin gave them a powerful kick at each opportunity she got.

One of the men swiftly grabbed his walkie-talkie to call in reinforcements. While he was distracted, Paelen knocked him down with a single punch across his face that caused several of his teeth to rip out of his gums and go flying into the air.

The last man was breaking into a sweat, and he seemed to know that he would be beaten in the fight if he did not get help. For once, fear revealed itself on his expressionless face, and he backed up.

Joel and Lorin worked together to drive him back against a wall. With one last blow from Joel, the man crumpled.

"That was actually kinda fun," Joel admitted. "But we need to get out of here before reinforcements arrive. Good job though."

He pressed the button for the elevator and the three of them stepped inside.

"What is this thing?" Lorin asked fearfully. She had never seen an elevator before.

"It's an elevator," Joel answered. "It will take us where we need to go."

"Like the solar thing?"

Joel rolled his eyes. "No, not like the 'solar thing', Lorin." He pushed the button that would take them to the highest floor.

A look of confusion appeared on Lorin's face. "That makes no sense. What is it like then?"

"It doesn't matter!" Joel shouted. "We are not here to talk about elevators! We are here to save Emily!"

"Ok ok," Lorin replied with slight annoyance. "Be like that then. I'll just ask Paelen."

Paelen turned the other direction, obviously wanting nothing to do with the squabble he was being dragged into.

The elevator reached the top floor and halted, the doors sliding open to allow them to pass.

With Joel in the lead, the trio walked down the hallway to the apartment at the end, which had been Emily's.

Joel held his breath, bracing himself for what he would see on the other side, and pushed open the door.

 **A/N: I hope you liked this chapter, I was up very late editing it. I know it was kind of short but I promise the next part will be longer. The thing is, school just started for me and I have a lot of work to do but I will still try to update my story as much as possible. For this chapter, the majority of it was written during school when I had a little bit of time leftover or a few spare minutes. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Also, stay tuned for more!**


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